A plastic surgeons in Glasgow has opened what they believe to be the first bra bank in the city centre.
La Belle Forme, based on Clyde Street, started the new initiative after they realised how many brassieres were going to waste after patients underwent breast augmentation surgery.
Lead nurse Felicity Sweeney figured the number of binned bras could be put to good use.
Read more: St Enoch's Centre construction worker crushed to death by 3.5 tonne machine at shopping centre
She told Glasgow Live: "This is an initiative organised by Against Breast Cancer.
"The majority of stuff we do is involving breasts whether it's an enlargement, reduction, an uplift or whatever. But most of the people who wear their normal bra on the day don't require it after because they have changed size.
"They tend to hand it to us on the way out the door and ask us to bin it. We noticed that over a long period of time we were binning a lot of stuff that surely someone could use somewhere.
"We started looking at things we could do, we found that charity shops don't accept bras as donations. I think that's where the breast cancer charity themselves have realised where the downfall is.
"This initiative is to raise awareness of breast cancer, to raise funds and redistribute bras to African countries such as Ghana and Malawi where they find it difficult to get bras at an affordable price."
Putting on a bra is a right many people across the world take for granted but there are some who face bra poverty on a daily basis.
Felicity added: "You wake up in the morning, you brush your teeth, you put on your underwear.
"For lots of people that is not a luxury they have, particularly in Africa. There is a cultural side to it as well, receiving a bra is a right of a passage for a girl.
"It can already be difficult for a girl as it is, going through puberty and dealing with all the hormonal changes. It is about ensuring that everyone is on a level playing field and they have access to support."
Many may see the bra bank as a way to get rid of their old underwear but La Belle Forme will only accept those that are still in a decent condition.
The nurse said: "Anybody can come and drop off a bra, anyone can ring the doorbell and hand in donations at anytime. We've had patients who have come back and handed us huge bags full of bras they don't need anymore.
"It has been very positive so far. We are looking for bras that you would wear.
"If you would walk in to somewhere and buy the bra to wear then that's donatable. If it's tatty and ripped they wouldn't want to take because it's important these girls feel like their benefitting from donations, it needs to be from a place of care.
"There's a lot of people sitting with nothing and there is a lot of sitting with a lot we like that we can't seem to part with but we have no intention of wearing."
READ NEXT -
ScotRail bonfire weekend chaos as 'significant disruption' expected
Speeding Glasgow driver who killed OAP wants licence back early to expand his business
Former M&S store earmarked for demolition to create new student accommodation
Body of a man recovered at Bearsden loch following search by police
Blackmailer poses as Glasgow gangster Steven Lyons to extort cash from frightened teenager
